The Great Escape - By Raaiq B. Aher

Written By: Raaiq B. Aher

Category: Creative Writing

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the realm of creative storytelling, Raaiq B. Aher presents "The Great Escape" as a part of the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, hosted by Hashtag Kalakar. This piece of creative writing takes readers on an imaginative journey where reality and fantasy intertwine seamlessly. Through his vibrant narrative, Raaiq invites readers to explore a world where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, capturing the essence of adventure and spontaneity.

About the Work

"The Great Escape" is a whimsical exploration of freedom and its unexpected consequences. Raaiq B. Aher weaves a tale filled with vivid imagery and a playful tone, leading readers through a day of boundless possibilities and unforeseen twists. The narrative style is engaging, keeping the reader entertained with its humor and creativity, while subtly pondering the implications of a world where rules momentarily cease to exist.

The Great Escape

Original Submission by Raaiq B. Aher

THE GREAT ESCAPE

T

he inception of the day seemed like any other regular day. By regular, I meant full of energy. Even in the middle of the night, the folks in my town would do stuff and go places like it wasn’t even dark out. But that’s why today felt so strange. Usually, the town is filled with ruckus and movement. Well, it was; till noon at least. Exactly as the clock struck 12, the whole town suddenly got engulfed with silence. The birds stopped flying, the cars stopped moving and even the babies stopped crying. It was as if the town held its breath with no one daring to make a sound. I didn’t even notice until I came down to speak with my parents. As I called out to them I could only hear the sound of my echo. When I went to investigate, I found them in the living room. But they were frozen just like the others! They were too suffering from the same faith.

But that’s when I realized that if everyone is frozen except me, then I was the only person in the entire world that could move. So, that would mean that no one can tell me what to do and there were no limits on what I can do. It felt so wrong yet felt so right at the same time. I was so thrilled that I took a paper to plan out my day. After planning on all the places I want to visit, I set off to enjoy my care free day. I first visited the cinema. It was no problem finding a good seat and getting the food I want, since there was no people which means there was no line. But I still paid for the food and the movie tickets. Just because I can do whatever I want in doesn’t mean I shouldn’t pay for whatever I take or use. After a movie or two, I visited the amusement park next. And just like before, there was no line, so I could ride all the rides as much as I wanted. Next was the water park. I went on all the slides 6 times each. But, that’s when I notices something strange. Even though the people were frozen, the water kept flowing as usual. I didn’t think of it too much. Last but certainly not least, I visited the zoo. But that’s when I realized that even the animals were effected too. It was no fun visiting a lifeless zoo. But, I did manage to enter the enclosures. Since they were all frozen I managed to pet all of them. Even a pride of matured lions.

After an unimaginable day, I was on my way home. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something fishy about all this. A few minutes later, it was almost 3 o’clock and everyone was still frozen. I started to panic. That’s when I saw something interesting on the window of the newspaper stall. It was an article based on today. My heart sank as if the titanic hit the iceberg. The article stated that today was ‘International Statue Day’ where all the creatures in the world would freeze in order to honor all our fallen allies just like how we build statues in their honor. Even though is sounds ridiculous, all the people respect international laws. Even the animals obeyed this event. Then that would mean that I disrespected an international law! “I’m definitely going to prison” I murmured. I knew I had to escape because in a few minutes the world wide freeze would conclude and so will my chapter if I get surrounded by cops. As I began my great escape, I could already see people starting to move. It was almost 3 p.m. and I was running out of time. I knew I’d never outrun cops on foot. So I decided to switch to my trusty old bicycle. But before that, I’d need to get to it first.

I sprinted towards my house because I knew I didn’t have time to lose. As I stealthily entered my house from the backdoor, I quickly went to the garage and hopped onto my bike. As I opened the garage shutter, all I could see were brightly colored flashing sirens at my doorstep. It was the cops! But they thought I was still inside my house. So I used the window of opportunity I had and peddled out of the drive way. It was not long till one of the cops saw my exit. So they shortly followed me. It was obvious that I can outrun police cars on a bike. But my bike had one advantage. It was built for going off-road. So, I quickly skidded into a dense forest which was conveniently just ahead of me. The police lost sight of me as I vanished into the lush patch of green. As dusk turned to dawn, I managed to venture into the heart of the jungle. But there was only one problem. Even though I escaped the law doesn’t mean that I escaped Mother Nature. The jungle I ventured into was home to leopards, snakes, venomous insects and way worse, poisonous plants. I knew I wouldn’t survive for long on my own. I’m no Tarzan to be one with nature. So I had to take my chances with the law.

To make thing worse, now not only the police, but the FBI and the SWAT were after me too. Within a matter of minutes I made my way into the most wanted list. “At least things couldn’t get worse” I prayed. But the universe loves proving me wrong. Just as I let out a sigh of relief, I could hear choppers hovering just above the canopy. At this point, the only thing missing were tanks. But I didn’t want to jinx it so this time is kept my lips sealed. So I ditched my bike and continued on foot. Even though it was my most favorite gift I’ve ever got, I couldn’t risk getting slowed down. After many miserable hours, I finally neared the opposite end of what seemed to be an endless patch of green. Just as I stepped out of a bush, I was nearly scared half to death. All I could see were armies of heavily armored men with huge trucks loaded with weapons. As I attempted to escape back into the forest, I heard a rumbling sound. Coming from inside the jungle. It was coming from non-other than, a huge armada of armored tanks. “Why must you hate me universe?” I questioned. This was it. It was the end of my trail. I had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, I literally had no hopes at all. I gave in and accepted my defeat. And just to rub it in my face, the officer who had the honor of cuffing me just had to climb out of the biggest tank in the armada. I wanted to plead, to ask forgiveness but it was a wasted effort. Word just didn’t come out. I was that much depressed.

Then, all of a sudden, the clock struck midnight. The officer then pulled out a key from under his hat and then jiggled the lock on my cuffs. Amazingly, it opened and he said “You’re free to go. Just don’t get caught again”. I was so confused. That’s when it hit me like a storm. Today was the dawn of ‘International Forgiveness Day’. So that meant that my international offence was pardoned. I was so relieved that I screamed “Take that universe!” Too bad I couldn’t take those words back. All of a sudden I heard a laughter. Then the words, game over flashed in front of my eyes. Turns out that when I was sleeping, my cousin put a VR headset on me! He even recorded me panicking while wearing the VR. Then he sent the video to the news. THE NEWS where the whole world can see my embarrassing video. “April Fools!” he yelled in an annoying manner. “Well played universe” I sighed. To tell the truth though, I wasn’t even that mad. Of course I’m going to get my revenge sooner or later. But you got to admit that it was a really cool prank and I fell for it head on. But there was only one problem. It wasn’t even April. It was the middle of June!

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, spearheaded by Hashtag Kalakar, is a prestigious platform that celebrates the art of storytelling and poetic expression. This annual competition attracts a diverse array of participants worldwide, each contributing unique voices and perspectives. The competition is renowned for its commitment to nurturing creativity and providing artists with a space to showcase their literary talents.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Raaiq B. Aher for his captivating submission, "The Great Escape," to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. His imaginative storytelling and creative flair offer readers a delightful experience. We look forward to seeing more from Raaiq and wish him continued inspiration and success in his creative endeavors.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.